Chapter Seventeen

LILY

I wake up and move my hand to rub at my eyes realizing that it's still clutched in Kace's. We're still driving, though I'm not sure where we are. The landscape isn't familiar, and I feel slightly disorientated. I blink my eyes, they're heavy with sleep, but as I look over at Kace, he seems as sharp as a knife like we're out for a casual drive in the countryside.

I lick my lips as I take my time admiring him. His jaw is chiseled and square with a light brush of growth lining it. His features seem so perfect, too perfect to be real, but I know they are. I've felt his lips on mine, and they're soft and gentle, a total contrast to the hard exterior he portrays.

His usually perfect hair is in slight disarray, almost as though he's run his fingers through it over and over. My hand itches to do the same.

I have to wonder what makes him this way? What happened for him to be involved in this life he lives?

I knew he'd taken lives before. I'd had my doubts, but after last night, I believe every word he's told me.

I should be scared.

But I'm not.

He may have stolen the lives of others, people who he said had done bad things, but when I'm around him, I feel like I'm more alive than ever. It's almost as though every breath he takes, fills my lungs with air.

He's made a huge sacrifice to keep me safe, not following the rules and pushing away from his friends—his people, his team.

"Was Luca really going to shoot you?" I ask, my voice still rough and filled with sleep. He doesn't startle at my question, of course, he already knows I'm awake.

"If he had wanted to shoot me, he would have," he answers, a twinge of pain in his words.

"So why didn't he?"

He leans his elbow against the window ledge, his thumb sweeping softly over the back of my hand almost as though the gesture settles his apprehension a little. "Luca and I have been best friends for over six years. But it wasn't an easy road to get to where we are… or were."

I sit silently, giving him a moment and waiting for him to continue.

"Luca was young when he was assigned to my team. He was good, really good, but also really cocky." He smiles. "He has this strange need to be hilarious all the time."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, I noticed."

Kace chuckles, and I smile at the sound of his deep laughter. "I take my job seriously. My team is my responsibility. I need to make sure that not only do they know what they're doing, but that they all come out of the situations we're thrown into in one piece." He shakes his head. "We clashed. I tried to have him thrown out on more than one occasion, but my superiors forced me to keep him on, telling me over and over what an asset he would be."

"And he proved them right."

"We were sent on a mission. It was meant to be simple… get in, get out, job done." His lips purse. "It wasn't simple. These people had more high-tech gear than any of us had anticipated. They saw us coming a mile away, and they were waiting."

I tense up, even though I know the outcome had to have been good since he's here and breathing. But just thinking about Kace in danger makes my head cloudy and my heart ache.

"I took a bullet to the side of my neck and two to my leg. I was lying on the ground in a dead zone, my men huddled behind barriers at my rear, and theirs ahead outnumbering us more than two to one." His hand grips mine a little harder as though he's reliving the pain. "I should have died there. But Luca being the cocky asshole that he was, gathered my men and created a distraction while he ran out into the middle of a fucking battlefield to get me."

"Holy shit," I whispered.

Kace smirks. "Fucker threw me over his shoulder and ran back to cover with a shot to the arm and a bullet wedged in his shin. You know you can trust someone with your life when they risk theirs for you."

I can't help but stare at him in awe. "Seriously, how are you guys still alive?"

He grins. "We have highly developed medical supplies, stuff that's only available to special operations and the military."

I frown. "Shit like that could save lives in the real world, Kace."

He shrugs. "We save hundreds of lives every single day by stopping these assholes."

I screw up my nose. I can't really argue with that. Hence, I shake it off.

"So after everything you guys have been through, he's just going to come after you and hunt you down?"

Kace sighs and turns to me. "He's just doing his duty, Lily. I can't hold that against him just because I've failed to do mine."

I turn and look out the window. "His duty sucks," I murmur in frustration.

He squeezes my hand, drawing my attention back to him. "If I can convince him that there's something else going on, then we have a chance. I know he'll listen to me, but only if we have proof." He settles back into his seat, muttering to himself. "I just have to figure out what that something else is."

I use my free hand to tuck Kace's jacket back in around my legs as it must have slipped off while I was sleeping. "If we're on the run with no phones, how are we meant to find out anything?"

"There are ways," he answers simply. "Burner phones are reasonably untraceable. And if I can get to my assets before the Seven do, we can hopefully get some information and figure this crap out."

His thumb begins to soothingly rub my hand again, and I stay quiet.

I know I need to trust Kace. He's come this far, betrayed his team to keep me out of harm's way. So I just need to remind myself that he's here. And while he's here, everything will be all right.

***

It's around seven in the morning when we pull into the outskirts of civilization.

Kace spots a motel and eases the car into the parking lot. He turns the engine off and releases a long breath. "It should be safe to rest here for a bit," he says even though his eyes seem more alert than ever. "Come on."

I grab the strap of my handbag as I climb out of the car, stretching my aching body. Reaching my arms up into the air, the gentle pull on my muscles feels so good as I let out a quiet moan.

A throat clears, and I look up, seeing Kace's eyes watching me over the roof of the car. I shiver as his gaze bores into me and unconsciously lick my lips.

"Let's go," he snaps, stomping around the car with his bag strung over his shoulder and snatching my hand as he pulls us toward the motel office.

Kace books us a room, paying with cash and signing the forms all while the old lady behind the counter eyes him like he could be her next meal. I frown, pulling my body closer to his possessively and smiling as he places his arm around my waist and guides me out the door.

"Jealousy is a good look on you," he says, obviously amused.

"She was old enough to be my grandmother," I grumble. Kace laughs. "That's gross."

He slides the key in our second-floor room and pushes the door open. It smells slightly stale, but I'm surprised to see that it's reasonably clean and tidy. There's a double bed in the center, and butterflies splutter in my stomach as I realize we'll have to share if there's any chance of us getting the rest we need.

Kace doesn't seem to notice, dropping his heavy body onto the bed and running his fingers through his hair.

I close the door and lock it behind me, toeing off my shoes and padding toward the bed. Standing in front of him, I take his hand from his hair and replace it with my own. I grip his hair in my fingers and tilt his head up to me. His eyes are now looking tired, his body wearing down.

"It's going to be okay," I tell him softly. My fingers trace down his face, running along the scratchy stubble of his jaw. He doesn't say anything. One of his hands simply reaches up and grasps the back of my neck, drawing my face to his. The brush of his lips against mine is subtle but instantly makes me crave more.

My eyes flutter closed as I press more firmly, my hand cupping his face. Just as I move to seek entrance to his mouth, he pulls back. Disappointment sinks into me, but when I open my eyes, I see everything I need to know in his face. He wants me just as badly as I want him.

"Why don't you go take a shower?" he whispers. "I need to gather my thoughts."

I swallow tightly but nod. He pulls me down again, pressing his lips to my forehead before releasing me and allowing me to step back.

"You should probably get some rest," I tell him.

He smiles. "Yeah, I probably should."

Grabbing my handbag, I turn and walk to the small bathroom and turn on the shower, knowing that he won't. He'll sit there, alert and awake, ready to protect me from anything. And God, if it doesn't feel good.

A headache from the stress is coming on, so I dig through my bag to find some painkillers to ease the tension, it's then I notice my cell phone is tucked away in my bag. I tense up knowing I need to tell Kace, but I look over, seeing the steam from the shower rising and calling to me. I figure a few more minutes won't hurt, so I adjust the shower so it's not hot enough to scold my skin but hot enough to cleanse my body. Stepping under the heat, the pressure of the water massages at my body. I try to make it quick, but it feels so fucking good that I just can't convince myself to climb out until the water begins to run cold.

Drying off, I wrap the towel around my body, stepping out into the room. "Umm… I don't know if you want to have a shower, but you might want to wait. I kinda used all the hot water."

Kace is laying on his back with his arm across his eyes. He lifts it slightly, and I pull the towel a little tighter around me, shifting nervously.

"I'll umm… get dressed." I turn, but his harsh voice freezes me on the spot.

"Lily," he demands. I grip the towel in my hand and turn back to face him. "Come here."

"I should—"

"Come. Here."

My feet move to the bed of their own accord, walking around to the edge where he lays. He pushes himself up, swinging his legs over the side and spreading them apart. Leaning forward, his hands grip the back of my thighs and pull me between his knees. My mouth falls open slightly as he looks up at me beneath hooded lids before his eyes work their way down my body, over the fluffy white towel, and down my legs.

"Jesus," he mutters, the deep tone of his voice sending tingles straight between my legs.

Without thinking, I rub them together eliciting a low growl from him. One of his hands moves around the front of my body, his fingers slipping inside the crease of the towel and following it up until he reaches the spot where only my hand holds the two edges together.

I try to keep my breathing even, but with Kace so close and with his hands on me, the fight is one I can't possibly win.

"Let it go," he tells me, his fingers moving over mine, slowly prying the towel from my hand. My heart races and my cheeks flush as he pulls it away from my body, and within a second, drops it. I stay frozen still as it falls into a puddle at my feet, and I'm now completely bared to him.

"Kace," I whisper, my voice shaking with nervousness as his eyes take their time, wandering my body as though he's committing it to memory. When he doesn't speak, I move my hand, feeling as though I should cover myself, but he grabs my wrist and pulls it away.

"You're beautiful," he tells me, his eyes finally meeting mine. I pull my bottom lip between my teeth, and he snaps. "Fuck."

I don't even have a second to react before he grips my thighs, just under my ass and lifts me. My legs go either side of him, my knees resting on the bed, and my pussy now spread and resting snugly against the crotch of his jeans.

I gasp, my hands going to his shoulders to steady myself. One of his hands begins to knead my ass cheek, pushing my body down on the hardness I can feel growing under me.

"Oh God," I groan as his other hand grasps my breast holding it in place as his tongue swipes at my nipple.

I dig my fingers into his shoulder as my head falls back, pushing my breasts further into his face. He latches on, sucking it into his mouth and flicking at it with his tongue. I push my hips down, moving my body against him as he explores me with his mouth and hands. The roughness of his jeans connects with my clit, and I moan out his name, "Kace…"

"Just need to touch you. Remind myself that you're here with me. That you're real," he whispers as he kisses up the center of my chest to my throat.

I slide my fingers up the back of his neck. He's tense and on edge, and all I want to do is ease his fears. Everything inside me screams out to this man, the need to feel him and have him possess me but also this strange desire to soothe the darkness and shadow that seems to be over him.

I lean forward, using my hands to tilt his face up to mine and rest my forehead against his. His muscles are tight and his jaw clenched.

"I'm here," I tell him. "Right here. Not going anywhere."

With that, he slams his lips against mine. I reach for the hem of his shirt, breaking the kiss momentarily as I drag it over his head. His lips are quickly back on mine, his tongue invading my mouth.

I squeal when I'm suddenly flipped onto my back on the bed, my body bouncing. He leans over me, his hands braced on either side, his muscles tense and bulging. I take the moment to appreciate the specimen in front of me. His body is contoured to perfection from his amazingly toned chest and pecs to his sculptured abs and the delicious V-shape that disappears below his pants.

Just as I'm about to reach out, my fingers aching to touch something that seems too god-like to be real, he drops his face burying it in the crook of my neck, his lips once again tasting my skin.

I tilt my head to the side and spread my legs wider to accommodate his hips. I know I must be soaking the front of his pants, I'm so excited and so wet I can feel it.

He pulls away, and I miss his body over mine instantly. I begin to sit up, but he lifts his head, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"It's okay, baby. Just going to have a taste."

I shudder, knowing exactly what he means. Goosebumps cover my skin as his lips brush over my stomach, stopping for just a moment at my hips, peppering my skin with soft kisses.

"Kace…" I whimper, lifting my hips. He hasn't even touched me yet, and I feel as though I may explode.

The second his tongue sweeps through my damp pussy, my body arches off the bed. He nips at the inside of my thigh.

"Fuck," he growls. "Better than I expected."

I grip the blanket beneath me, fisting it as he goes back for more, this time flicking his tongue when he reaches my clit and forcing a long moan from my mouth.

"Tried to stay away from you for so long, Lily," he says, blowing softly and sending a whole new sensation through me. My body is on fire, and Kace is in total control of the flames. I thought I'd felt passion before, figured I knew what it was. But with the electricity buzzing and crackling between us, I know now that it was nothing. His touch, his voice, the way he holds himself, the power, there is no escaping the feelings I have building for him.

He may be dangerous.

But that's what makes it so fucking good.

"Don't stay away anymore," I tell him breathlessly.

He chuckles, pulling my clit into his mouth and sucking, raising my pleasure higher and higher, releasing it just before I reach the peak. "No way in hell, baby."

I feel a thick finger slip inside me, and I press down, wanting more, needing more. His other hand reaches up, his fingers tweaking my nipple as his tongue lashes my clit relentlessly. The burn begins to fill me, my body tingling in anticipation as I climb higher and higher. His finger begins to pump inside me. My eyes close and my back arches, pressing my pussy against his mouth as my body begins to shudder with its impending release.

"Kace!" I scream as it hits me, my body dropping back to the bed.

I fight to find my breath as my pussy continues to clench tightly around his finger like the aftershocks of an earthquake. His lips move to my thigh, leaving soft, gentle kisses as though he's trying to calm my body from the shock I just experienced. My heart is thumping so hard I can hear it in my ears while the blood pumps furiously through me.

"Could get used to you screaming my name," he murmurs as he makes his way up my body, his mouth never leaving my skin. He nuzzles his face into my neck, the front of his pants pressing against my sensitive clit sending a jolt through me. He chuckles as I wrap my legs and arms around him and hold him in place.

"You gonna take them off?" I ask, my fingers floating down his back and tugging at his jeans.

He pulls back, a serious look on his face. "Lily, once I get inside you, I'm gonna take my time. Been waiting all my fucking life for you."

His words are so intense, they hit hard. All I can do is nod.

"Need to get the both of us some food, some energy," he says, brushing away a stray hair from my face. "Then, you can have everything you want and more."

He drops a soft kiss on my lips and pushes off the bed, and I instinctually move to cover my body.

"Don't," he snaps, frowning down at me.

I freeze.

His eyes sweep over me one last time before he groans and grips his cock through his pants. "Gonna take that cold shower now."